Help, I need some advice:Hydrocodone or Ultram ER

My rhuemy has had me on hydrocodone 7.5 for 3-1/2 yrs. I take between 2-4 tablets a day.

I have been rx'd endocet once by a pain mgm dr (he hit the bone when doing a TP injection). He told me the endocet was 10x stronger than the hydrocodone. But, it did absolutely nothing for my pain. An M&M would've made me feel better. (I don't go to pain mgm anymore.)

Now since reading about the Ultram ER, I'm wondering if this would be a better choice & I could use the hydrocodone for breakthru pain. Does that sound logical?

Like everyone on this board, the summer has been brutal - daily afternoon showers, high humidity, temps close to 100 degrees. I'm from Baton Rouge, LA.

I'm just starting to come out of an excruciating flare that I've had for about 6 weeks (with the help of a med pack - prednisone. I take a med pack maybe once or twice a year).

I'm so terrified of going into another awful flare, but I don't know if taking the Ultram ER would be better for me or not. Which is stronger? Hydrocodone or Ultram ER. The hydrocodone does nothing when the pain is really bad, and if it does help a little, the relief doesn't last very long. Evidently anything in the OxyContin family (i.e. endocet) doesn't help either.

The first drug I tried for my fibro was Ultram...it did about as much for me as a tic tac. But many people on this board have gotten alot of relief from Ultram. If you have not tried it, I would recommend you do. I read of many taking hydrocodone (Vicodin) or oxycodone (Percocet) for break through pain with it. It is always worth a try.

It seems as if you already know that the oxy family doens't do much for you. Or hydrocodone, I guess that's related? I haven't tried Ultram yet either. I'd like to, but my new doc is reluctant. I have one reservation about it though, and you might want to consider this. It is said to work on serotonin and its effect is cumulative, so it builds its effectiveness over time. I'm super sensitive to serotonin drugs, I get a terrible reaction to SSRI ad's. If you have this problem too, then you will want to beware. Maybe you do really well on SSRI's, so you can take that info to your doc too.

I seem to do well on SSRI's. I'm gonna see my Rheumy on Aug. 7 for injections in my hips and shoulders. I'll see what he thinks.

I have really bad bursitis in hips & shoulders, and DH & I are flying to Seattle (from Baton Rouge) to visit some very dear friends. From there we'll rent a van and drive down the Oregon Coast. I just hope I can survive this trip.

I'm too young to feel this old. Really, 61 is not that old these days.

Maybe I better rethink this issue. I don't think it's a good idea to start a new med right before a 2 wk vacation.

It's just that Ultram ER is suppose to be a longer lasting pain med, and I was thinking it would be better to have a pain med released gradually into my system than all at once.

Usually I do better when I go on vacation. I'm a caregiver for my mother. She has Alzheimer's (good days and bad); she's bipolar and has Macular Degeneraation (lost all central vision). She lives in an Assisted/Nursing home.

I feel so sorry for her. I'm her only child and we're very close.

I'm lucky I can usually leave my cares behind me when my DH & I travel. My husband has worked very hard all the yrs. of our marriage (40 yrs), and it was his dream to travel. So I don't want to let him down.

I used it as I had doctors telling me that I was addcited to my T3's and that was all they would give to me.
Ultram is a non steridoal anti-inflamority and for some people it works wonders.

YOU MUST TAKE THIS PILLS BEFORE YOUR REALLY IN PAIN. IF your thinking HUM I think this pain is getting annoying then take it right then and you pain should not get any worse.

But if you take it when you hurting and really need something to get you out of pain Ultram is not what you need. This is what my own pain doctor told me a few weeks ago.

He went on to say that for some people it works wonders and for others a tic tac will help more. So the others who have told you to give it a try are right It might help you. AS you won't know till you have tried it.

But for me it is worthless and an expensive worth less. But like I said this is just how I feel about it. AS I do know pople who it really helps it just is not one that works for me in any way shape or form,

Sorry for sounding so bitter and gripy about this medication. I am sorry if I offened any one as I didn't mean to do so.

I have had a wk or so of the same. Getting up with a lot of pain and barely staying on top of it all day. I do take oxycontin 10 mg twice day and ultram in the afternoon. It does help a lot but sometimes take two and a tylenol to boost it. Just be care ful not to take too much of it as it is addictive too.

I live in Illinois and its hot here but I'm sure you have it even hotter and more humid. What do you like about Baton Rouge? I'm thinking of moving as we are retired (57)

I take both hydrocodone and Ultram. When I first started taking them, they each made me sick to my stomach, so I cut the pills in half and took them. Now I'm used to them and don't get sick anymore. My rheumatologist says you have to keep ahead of the pain. Hope this helps you in deciding.

Nikki,
Can't believe you live in BR..that's my home town..I'm living temporarily in Indiana because my husband is working on a project here...We'll be moving back and we're renting our house..
I, too, am a 62 and feel 100.
I tell you about Ultram ER. My dr tried me on it..the script was 127.00 and did nothing at all to help ..My pain is resistant to most pain meds and I've tried them all..
I, too, was on the Lortab same strength it worked for a while then stopped...
My pain is agonizing and my dr had to put me on oxy which still isn't helping..

I'm getting injections also..what kind are you getting..
Your rhemy doen't happen to be Dr. John Marshall??
He was mine..

I just wanted to say that taking 1,000 mg of calcium and 1,200 Vit D has GREATLY reduced my pain, and improved my sleep somewhat now I am learning to take some closer to bedtime, and I know I should be adding in madnesium as others are.

I was wondering if you use these daily with a good multivit with minerals not containing iron?

I can honestly say the calcium D works better than a pain killer for geting rid of pain.